Things You Should Know About Vascular Disease

Vascular Disease is a condition you need to learn about if you have a family member suffering from it, or if you want to avoid it. If you have either blood pressure problems or vascular problems, your doctor will be aware of them. The best vascular surgeon offers endovascular treatment to patients suffering from a vascular disease that involves invasive procedures.  

What is Vascular Disease?

Vascular Disease occurs when arteries or veins are narrowed or blocked. This creates a lack of blood flow, which can lead to pain, swelling, and other symptoms. It develops due to a weakening or obstruction in the blood vessels. It consists of diseases associated with an unhealthy blood supply to the body, specifically to the arteries and heart. This disease is characterized by the narrowing of arteries that supports blood. These vessels may become diseased, blocked with calcium, suffer a tear, or rupture due to an infection or trauma. The vessel could be called the body’s pipeline for blood and vital nutrients like oxygen. Vascular disease can lead to stroke or heart attack. The result can be a heart condition like an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), hardening and narrowing of blood vessels, or blood clots which can potentially lead to death. Vascular disease can impact your blood flow which can contribute to heart attack or stroke.

How to Detect Vascular Disease?

Vascular disease is often difficult to detect, and the risk factors for this could be as varied as diabetes, high cholesterol, or smoking. Fortunately, there are certain signs that you can watch for to help identify vascular disease before it becomes a health problem. One sign is the blood vessel appearance when a person is standing still. If the blood vessels appear blue or green instead of red, this indicates an issue with the oxygen supply to that area. This condition often happens in the lower legs and feet because they are constantly walking on hard surfaces. Another sign of the vascular disease is visible varicose veins in your legs and ankles.

The vascular system is the body’s transportation system, supplying blood to every part of the body. If there is a blockage in a vein or artery, this would lead to one problem or another. If the blockage is on the surface of the skin, there may be redness and swelling that can appear as bruises or black-and-blue marks. This often happens when someone falls, but it can also happen due to other causes like clogged arteries or smoking.

Some symptoms of vascular disease include unexplained weight loss, unexplained fatigue, easy bruising, and cuts at the site of an injury. These can be indicative of a leak in an artery or vein. 

If you have a family history of heart disease, stroke, or anything that could have led to vascular disease, it is important to know how to detect the symptoms because they are easy to miss. To detect the signs of vascular disease, you can do a simple urine test for protein in your urine. If protein consistently shows up in your urine then there is a chance that this could be a sign of vascular disease. The most common signs of vascular disease are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and excessive weight. The first step in detecting vascular disease is checking your cholesterol levels. 

Who’s At Risk If They Have Known Risk Factors?

The leading causes of death worldwide are heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke, and other vascular diseases. Having a known risk factor means that you should be aware of who is at risk. People with diabetes, for instance, have a six-fold increased risk of developing heart disease compared to those without diabetes. The most common form is atherosclerosis, which happens when the arteries are obstructed by plaque and cause heart disease or stroke. Vascular disease can be attributed to atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. These four factors put the person at risk for vascular disease. They may need to take medications if they suffer from these four risks.

Treatment Options for Vascular Disease

Vascular disease is a significant cause of heart failure and stroke. A healthy lifestyle with physical activity, a healthy diet with a focus on protective foods, and lower cholesterol levels can help prevent vascular issues. If you have vascular problems, you should visit the vascular institute to get a healthier lifestyle.